Packaging machine



April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April l5, 1959 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [Zar/as' ejQ/zef W if? April 10, 1962 C. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1959 INVENTOR. aBf/es 545022121' April 1o, 1962 Filed April l5, 1959 C. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Zar/a5' l/ejzzef Q/M Q2@ April l0, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 13, 1959 v INVENTOR. ejvfzez' Zar/e5' April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Apri-l l5, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,007

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 INV ENTOR.

afle Hefner April l0, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,007

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1959 17 sheets-sheet 7 INVENTOR.

Zar/as' ejmef mml" @72j l P4/WM April l0, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,007

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 ggz. 2; O fo P o fo tw o (o l c 'D O jar/e5' jye/zzef C. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE April 10, 1962 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 15, 1959 k) 9% INVENTOR. ign/as' jgeyzef @fifa/ff- April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed April l5, 1959 Zar/a5' IWILLNN April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,007

. PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April l5, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 INVENTOR.

" April 10, 1962 Filed April l5, 1959 C. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE ggg/255 252 Y 254 262 2&5

, INVENTOR.

April l0, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,007

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April l5, 1959 17 Shee'oS--Sheeil 13 lNvENTR.

April l0, 1962 c. HEPNER 3,029,097

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 flNVENToR.

Apil 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed April 13, 1959 April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE l? Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed April 13, 1959 April 10, 1962 c. HEPNER PACKAGING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed April 13, 1959 Unite Delaware Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 805,930 Claims. (Cl. 226-173) This invention relates to packaging machinery and more specifically to automatic machinery designed for the formation of molded packages from transparent sheet plastic web.

It is the general aim of the invention to provide an improved, yet sirnpliiied, continuous process packaging machine which is fully automatic in nature and capable of high speed -rnass production of molded plastic bubble packages, yet which is nevertheless of such liexible mechanical design that it is suited to the production of bubble packages of various sizes and shapes, and formed of various thicknesses and compositions of plastic. A further aim is to accomplish the above results in a machine designed to require a minimum amount of adjustment to handle the various types of plastics and various mold forms as may be required for highest possible productivity.v

A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a machine having the characteristics outlined above, forming devices adapted to the formation of open-topped package cavities drawn downwardly as pockets in a continuous web of plastic whereby the individual pockets may be exposed for loading while still an integral part of the web sheet, and thereafter closed, labeled and sealed before separation from the web. It has been found that this arrangement avoids unnecessary individual handling of the plastic packages and facilitates loading, either manual or automatic, while at the same time preventing or minimizing any undesirable etects due to the longitudinal and transverse stretching which is inherent in` packaging materials of this general nature.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved, yet simplified automatic packaging machine and a unique packaging method whereby the forming of the plastic bubble is done by drawing pockets downwardly from a horizontal plastic sheet, with the pockets upright and held in predetermined orientation so that the loading of the pockets may be easily done and the closing, printing and separating of the individual packages accomplished thereafter with maximum speed and with fully automatic control.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a unique form of molding apparatus specifically suited to operation in connection with a continuous plastic web supply wherein the three dimensional package shapes are formed by vacuum drawing the plastic web downwardly from the plane of the web into suitable mold cavities and then ejecting the plastic web from the mold as the mold itself is lowered from the plane of the web. This permits the plastic web to be advanced toward a loading station withou'tinterference with the structure of the mold; whereby the individual package forms may conveniently be presented at the loading station in a position accessible for loading with the open tops thereof disposed upwardly.

'A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a unique method of facilitating release and ejection of the plastic web from the mold cavities by providing an air cylinder for raising the mold to the plane of the plastic sheet, and discharging the exhaust air from this cylinder into the mold to eject the plastic web therefrom just before the mold starts to move down, thus insuring synchronization of the operating parts of the mechanism by positively ejecting the plastic from the mold prior to its advancing movement.

Another ofthe primary objects of the present invention "ice is to provide an automatic machine for making and loading plastic bubble packages with a unique and improved organization of the related operating parts of the machine to increase speed of production and facilitate loading of the packages by automatically operated mechanisms or by hand, particularly by the provision of a conveyor adapted to move a sheet of plastic material along a predetermined path in intermittent regular steps, and to carry it through a forming station, a loading station, a printing station, a sealing station and a cutting station, the forming station having molding devices adapted to move toward the opposite faces of the plastic and draw package cavities therefrom, with the loading station arranged to leave the tops of the cavities open to facilitate loading while the package portions remain integral with the web, and the cutting station having means for severing the individual packages from the web after loading and sealing.

A more specifi-c object of the invention is to provide, in an automatic package forming machine including instrumentalities for heating, forming, loading, printing, sealing and separating the packages produced, an improved and unique conveyor adapted to carry a single continuous sheet of plastic web stock through the several operative stations of the machine and to maintain the web in properly supported condition, both longitudinally and transversely, as the various sequential operations are performed, to permit proper registration and synchronizaautomatic bubble packaging machine consisting of a pairv of endless looped chains with each of the chains having its forwardly operating span parallel with and closely adjacent one edge of an elongated sheet of plastic stock and with the rearwardly moving span of each chain remote therefrom, with guide members for the chains loosely surrounding the chain links to limit the lateral free motion of the chains at all points between the sprockets, yet to accomplish this result without lateral force on the chain links and with minimum operating friction.

A further speciic object of the invention is the provision of an improved conveyor for moving a plastic web through operating stations spaced substantially apart from eac-h other in a package forming machine, the conveyor providing positive support along both edges of a relatively long length of the plastic and designed to achieve precise registry of the cavities therein in the several operating stations, yet so designed as to be free-running and relatively friction free, even in applications using a conveyor of considerable length.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved conveyor designed to support the opposed edges of a continuous length of plastic web stock wherein the conveyor parts are so designed as to operate essentially in the plane of the plastic sheet, whereby the conveyor par-ts do not project substantially above the upper surfaces of the plastic and thus do not obstruct access to the cav-y ities of the plastic for loading.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved conveyor for the sheet stock of a plastic bubble packaging machine, suited to use in connection with a machine assembly of considerable length and adapted to utilize plastic sheets of ditering widths and differing thermalcharacteristics, while at the same time being so designed and constructed to accommodate plastic sheets of widely varying thicknesses without adjustment.

A related `object of the invention is the provision of a unique and improved press linkage whereby coacting heat sealing members above and below the plane of the plastic sheet may be simultaneously retracted or advanced to meet at the precise plane of the plastic sheet and are so arranged that the entire unit may be actuated by a single air cylinder in a manner to accomplish uniform distribution of forces, thus maintaining the paired heat sealing members in substantially perfect parallelism and with equal pressure throughout their operating areas.

The foregoing objects are accomplished in the present invention by an automatic mechanism consisting essentially of a series of processing stations for heating, molding, loading, sealing, labeling and separating the individual plastic packages, together with a conveyor adapted to move the continuous plastic sheet through the various operating instrumentalities yet maintain it in substantially perfect registry and synchronization at all points, notwithstanding the varying characteristics of stretch, shrinkage, warping and sagging encountered with various widths or thickness of sheet stock, and the varying thermal and chemical characteristics of different plastics.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings attached to and forming a part of the present specification, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the entire machine;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a typical transparent bubble package such as produced on the machine;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the package shown in FIGURE 3, illustrating a typical label such as the machine may print on the package;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental detail sectional View of a typical forming mold, illustrating the manner of vacuum forming an open topped package cavity in the plastic web;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the plastic web at the loading station, illustrating the manner of loading the individual package cavities;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmental detail sectional view of the printing instrumentalities of the machine whereby the packages are labeled;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmental detail sectional view of one of the package cavities during the sealing operation;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmental detail sectional view of the punch press dies of the machine, showing one type of die contemplated for cutting around the individual loaded packages preparatory to separating the packages from the web; and

FIGURE 10 is a bottom plan View of a completed package, while still attached to the web.

FIGURE 11 is a rear elevational view of the main frame and forming press of the machine;

FIGURE 12 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 12,-12 of FIGURE 13, showing an adjustment of the conveyor track;

FIGURE 13 is a transverse sectional View of the main frame at the intake end of the conveyor, the View being taken substantially on the plane of the line 13-13 of FIGURES 1 and 2 and illustrating the conveyor drive mechanism;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmental detail plan section of one end of the conveyor chain and the drive sprocket associated therewith, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 14-14 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is a transverse detail sectional View through one of the endless conveyors of the mechanism, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 15-15 of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a detail sectionalview taken substantially on the plane of the line 16-16 of FIGURE 14 and illustrating the manner in which the conveyor engages the edges ofthe plastic web stock;

FIGURE 17 is a detail fragmental sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 17-17 of FIG- URE 16;

FIGURE 18 is' a transverse sectional View through the machine, at the forming press, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 18-18 of FIGURES 1, 2 and 11;

FIGURE 19 is a detail plan sectional view of the mechanism for operating the clamping ring of the vacuum forming mo d, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 19-19 of FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 20 is a fragmental plan sectional View of the vacuum forming mold, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 20-20 of FlGURE 18;

FIGURE 21 is a fragmental rear elevational view of the air and vacuum valves associated with the vacuum forming mold of FIGURE 20;

FIGURE 22 is a fragmental sectional view through the air and vacuum ducts of the forming mold, the view being taken substantially on the plane of the lines 22-22 of FIGURES 20 and 21;

FIGURE 23 is a plan view of a typical twelve cavity package mold for utilization with the machine, and designed for the formation of rectangular packages such as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4;

FIGURE 24 is a detail section through the mold illustrated in FIGURE 23 and taken substantially on the line 24--24 thereof;

FIGURE 25 is a bottom plan of the mold shown in FIGURES 23 and 24, illustrating the air and vacuum ducts formed in the underside thereof;

FIGURE 26 is a front elevation of the intermediate frame, showing the closing, labeling and sealing stations of the assembly;

FIGURE 27 is an enlarged front elevational view of the printing press of the machine;

FIGURE 28 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 28--28 of FIGURES 26 and 27 showing details of the printing devices;

FIGURE 29 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the lines 29-29 of FIGURES 1, 2 and 26 and showing the linkages employed for advancing and retracting the sealing members to the upper and lower sides of the web; and

FIGURE 30 is a detail plan sectional view of the sealing press linkages taken substantially on the plane of the lines 30-30 of FIGURES 2, 26 and 29.

FIGURE 3l is a front elevational view of the end frame of the machine and illustrating the punch press associated therewith;

FIGURE 32 is a detail sectional view of the punch press operating mechanism, taken on the lines 32-32 of FIGURES 1, 2 and 31; and

FIGURES 33, 34 and 35 are schematic wiring diagrams of the control circuits of the machine.

Before describing the details of structure of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, it is believed advisable to review the general organization of the main units of the machine and t0 outline the operations which they perform. In this connection it may be explained that the machine consists essentially of a series of processing units to form, fill, label and seal the packages, with a long conveyor adapted to feed a continuous strip of sheet plastic material through the individual units, which are synchronized to operate ou the plastic of the web as it is advanced.

The conveyor comprises two elongated track assemblies, generally designated as conveyor sections 11 and 12 (FIGURE 1), arranged to grip the opposite edges of a continuous narrow strip 13 of sheet plastic material and thus draw it from a supply reel 14 over idlers 15 and 16 into the intake end of the conveyor` The conveyor then functions to carry the strip of plastic web through the various operating instrumentalities of the assemblyand to discharge the web at the opposite end of the ma-A chine.

The operating instrumentalities of the assembly are preferably carried on three separate frames, to facilitate dismantling the equipment for shipping. As illustrated, these consist of a main frame member generally designated 17, which extends from the reel 14 to a loading station 18 (FIGURE 1),.with an intermediate frame 19 between the loading station and an end frame 21. The main frame 17 includes mechanism to operate the conveyor assemblies 11 and 12, together with a control panel 22 on which electrical control switches for the unit are preferably mounted, and a preheating unit 23 adapted to heat the plastic sheet and render it pliable as it approaches the forming press 24 of the device. The main frame also serves to house some of the vacuum equipment utilized by the press 24 in the forming operation.

The conveyor tracks 11 and 12 are also preferably made up in sections generally corresponding to the length of the loading station 18 and the frame units 17, 19 and 21, with the several sections each individually supported by the frame therebelow, and with the section extending across the loading station supported between the frames 17 and 19, but it will be understood that the conveyors utilize a common pair of operating chains extending from the intake end to the discharge end thereof so that the several sections, while structurally independent, are normally coupled to each other in alignment and in a manner such that they function as a unitary conveyor extending throughout the entire length of the apparatus.

The intermediate frame of the device, generally designated at 19, includes a side frame 25 to support a feed reel 26 of sheet material 27 (which may be either paper or plastic), for closing and sealing the individual packages manufactured by the machine. The intermediate frame also carries a printing unit 28 for applying appropriate label indicia to the closure sheet 27 and a sealing press 29 for bonding the closure sheet across the tops of the package cavities formed in the plastic web 13, as will appear.

The end frame 21 serves as a mount for a punch press 31 and for its driving motor 32 and, if desired, may also support a take-up reel for scrap web emerging from the machine after the completed packages are severed from the web.

The general mode of operation of the mechanism involves:

(a) Drawing a continuous strip of the sheet plastic web 13 from the reel 14 in step-by-step motion, with the length of the steps corresponding to the size of the particular die being used in the forming press 24, so that the precise length of plastic required for the forming mold will be supplied to it for each operation;

(b) Preheating the plastic by passing it under electrical heating units 33 supported above the main frame in a zone through which the web feed passes before entering the forming press 24;

(c) Subjecting the web to a vacuum forming operation in the press 24, to stretch the plastic downwardly from the plane of the sheet into one -or more mold cavities, thus molding a number of open-topped plastic pockets, package cavities, or bubbles in the sheet;

(d) Advancing the plastic web (with the package cavities held in predetermined spacing and orientation therein) in step-by-step manner across the loading station 18;

(e) Filling the open-topped plastic bubbles with the material to be packaged (either by hand or by automatic feeding instrumentalities diagrammatically illustrated at 34) as the web is carried across the loading station;

(f) Feeding a length of the closure sheet 27 from supply reel 25 across a straightening idler 36 to a position immediately above the open-topped bubbles in the web;

(g) Applying appropriate indicia to the closure sheet by the printing press 28 of the intermediate frame 19;

(h) Bonding the closure sheet 27 to the web 13 around each of the package cavities formed therein to provide an individual sealed capsule surrounding each of the pieces of merchandise inserted in the pockets during the loading operation;

() Feeding the laminated-web, consisting of sheets 13 and 27 into the punch press 31 to die-cut the web around each of the individual plastic bubble Y package units (yet without completely severing the web), thus leaving the packages attached -to the web by frangible tabs or libres; then (j) Advancing the web to carry the cut packages from the punch press 3d; and then (k) Severing the individual packages from the web as the web is ejected from the discharge end of the conveyor, as by bending the web abruptly over the edge of a cutting bar or knife.

This sequence of operations is illustrated in FIGURES 5 to l0, inclusive, wherein FIGURE 5 shows the plastic web being drawn into the cavity of the forming die by vacuum; FIGURE 6 shows the manner of supporting the open-topped bubbles by the plastic web in the loading station; FIGURE 7 illustrates the printing operation; FIG- URE 8 shows the sealing press bonding the closure sheet onto the upper surface of the plastic web; FIGURE 9 shows the operation of the cutting dies of the punch press, and FIGURE l0 shows the llled packages cut from the laminated web but still loosely secured thereto by the interconnecting libres around the edges of the invididual packages. FIGURES 3 and 4 show one of the individual packages after being severed from the web.

The M ain Frame The main frame of the assembly includes a pair of longitudinally extending angle irons 41 having their vertical flanges spaced apart from each other by appropriate transverse braces 42 and their horizontal flanges extending outwardly from each other and perforated fat intervals for bolting to a tloor surface. The frame includes four angle iron uprights with the pair of uprights 43 adjacent the end of the machine interconnected by a ilat cross bar 44 and the uprights 45 adjacent the forming unit interconnected by a similar cross bar 46. The uprights are also interconnected by longitudinal beams 47 and 48. The forward ends of each of these longitudinal members are secured to the uprights 45. The rear end of the beam 47 is secured to a horizontal plate 49 on the front face of the cross bar 44, and the member 48 secured directly to the upright 43 on the other side of the machine. 'The forward and rear surfaces of the rectangular frame thus formed are enclosed by removable sheet metal panels 51 mounted in a manner to provide easy access to the enclosed portions of the mechanism, within which -a vacuum pump 52 and vacuum tank 53 are mounted.

The Plastic Web Supply It is contemplated that a continuous strip plastic web of `appropriate width and thickness will be supplied to the machine in a manner whereby the web may be autom-atically drawn from a supply reel as the conveyor advances it through the mechanism. The machine i-s accordingly provided with a reel supporting shaft 54 having a pair of tapered hub blocks 55, removably secured on the shaft to hold the supply reel 14 in the conventional manner. The shaft itself is supported by a pair of outboard mounting plates 56 and S7, both on the same side of the reel 14 (FIGURE l), whereby the front end of the reel shaft 54 is unobstructed, in order that the reel may be replaced merely by removing the forward hub plug 55 from the shaft, and slipping the reel into place. In vorder to provide suitable operating tension for the web as it is drawn from the supply reel, an adjustable drag including a brake band 58 is mounted between the outboard supporting brackets 56, 57 with a brake drum S9 axed to the reel shaft 54 to supply appropriate resistance to rotation. The entire reel assembly is conveniently mounted on 4a floor plate 61 secured to the upper surfaces of rearwardly extending portions of the angle irons 41 of the main frame 17, and a swinging support arm' 62 is employed to support the idler 15 heretofore mentioned. 

